Year Of Metal #044: Kiss - Kiss
The good news: here’s a heavy metal act who can’t possibly take themselves too seriously. Kiss are an act who exist in rarified air. Everyone knows who they are, most people would probably profess at least a mild affection for them, the majority of people who like music would be more than willing to go and see them live, and yet I doubt many folk at all could name more than, say, four of their songs. They’re all pomp and surface, a merchandising machine moonlighting as a rock band with the kind of ludicrous branding that leaves them impervious to criticism. They’re in on the joke, and they’re making bank, so say what you want about them, they’re not bothered.
To that end, it’s a little disappointing that their 1974 debut album is, basically, just fine. Lyrically it’s pretty uninspired, musically it does the necessary and little more. The performances are pretty good, especially when Paul Stanley’s on the mic - the lads have that punky New York plosive delivery and a fine bratty energy. They’re a great example of dressing for the job you want, not the job you have - listening to these songs will generate a shrug, but just look at these four face painted whackos on the cover and you’ll see dollar signs.
When things get heavier, the album picks up. The thick swagger of “Let Me Know” is aided by a particularly sleazy Gene Simmons vocal turn and the bone headed thunk of Peter Criss’ drums. “Kissin’ Time” is even better. A cover of a Bobby Rydell track (no, me neither), it seems fair to say this song was half-inched by the Wilsons for “Surfin’ USA”. Kiss add a few extra degrees of lunkheadedness by playing resolutely on the beat (Rydell’s swings and twists, as was the style at the time), which is good forceful fun. When the solo arrives, it really rips.
The rest of the material on here is perfectly fine, seldom better. Opener “Strutter” strikes while the iron is hot, and the title’s no false advertisement - this is peacocking hard rock with a decent riff and a standout chorus. But there’s no more to it than that - a bit of attitude, cranked up guitars, lyrics about saucy dames. Once you’ve heard one of these, you’ve heard them all, that that is essentially all the LP has to offer.
Kiss work smart, not hard. They recognise that they’ll get over the line by way of thrusting presence and daffy make up, and the plan obviously worked. They were soon a must-see live act, and they’d cement their legacy most memorably with the beloved Alive! concert album. I think they’d cheerfully admit that this is by no stretch of the imagination a great record, but it does the job, and it’s perfectly fine to listen to, meaning it’s a success.
